


Revenge of the Trollhunter's Mother

by elizabethemerald



Series: Trollhunters Fall, Fall and Fall Again [2]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-06-22 06:06:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19661377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabethemerald/pseuds/elizabethemerald
Summary: Jim is gone. The remaining Trollhunters must now continue his mission. As long as they can keep their grief from tearing their fragile team apart.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Barbara gestured towards the bridge.  
> “What will you do with this?”  
> Blinky started out of his reverie. “Probably scatter the pieces again. Send them to the four corners of the earth. Drop some of them into holes so deep and so dark that neither troll nor human will ever find them again.”   
> Barbara nodded, still looking at the pieces, her brows furrowed in concentration. “What did Jim mean by ‘babies’?

**Prelude**

Barbara stood from where she had been kneeling and looked around at the group surrounding the fallen pieces of the Bridge. Toby sniffed loudly. Claire wiped tears from her eyes. Blinky stared at the shattered remains of the portal to the Darklands. Draal stood near the door, letting them mourn. Barbara gestured towards the bridge.

“What will you do with this?”

Blinky started out of his reverie. “Probably scatter the pieces again. Send them to the four corners of the earth. Drop some of them into holes so deep and so dark that neither troll nor human will ever find them again.” 

Barbara nodded, still looking at the pieces, her brows furrowed in concentration. “What did Jim mean by ‘babies’? Was Claire's brother not the only one taken?”

“Unfortunately, we have no idea how many children were taken. Perhaps hundreds--one familiar for every changeling. They are kept young as long as they are kept prisoner in the Darklands.”

“We know there’s at least two more!” Toby said. “One for Mr. Strickler and one for Ms. Nomura.”

“Walter? Oh that's right, he's a changeling. He's literally two-faced.”

Barbara looked at the rubble for a moment longer. “Draal, dear, would you mind closing the door? We might need a little privacy."

Draal pressed the interior button that sealed the vault room. Claire and Toby moved closer to Barbara. Blinky turned to look at her as well, confusion and worry etched on his face, his hands were clasped in front of him. As soon as the door finished sealing, Barbara turned to them with a look of determination, her mouth set in a thin line. 

“My son went into the Darklands alone, to save one child. But there may still be hundreds more. Before the Bridge is scattered, someone has to save those children.  _ We _ have to save them.”

Blinky’s eyes widened in horror at the idea. “We can't go in there now! Who knows how many Gumm-Gumms are on the other side, just waiting for their chance to rush through?”

“No. You're right--we can't go through now. None of us are ready. But we will have to go in at some point.” Barbara replied. 

Blinky waved his hands in exasperation. “This is insane. We can't be considering this!”

“It is insane,” Toby said, “but it's exactly what Jim would do.”

Claire nodded. “The children would need to be saved eventually.”

“Blinky, think about it this way.” Barbara said. “If you scatter the pieces they might not be reassembled for a thousand years. Those babies will be trapped there that entire time. And there would be no way to rescue them!.”

“And until the familiars are rescued we will fear the plots of the Impure,” Draal said as he approached.

They looked to Blinky, who shook his head vehemently. “The Darklands are a black labyrinth! Filled with Gumm-Gumms and other monsters.”

“I’m not in a rush to die Blinky!” Barbara said, her voice tired. “I know it will be difficult. But don’t you think we owe it to the children who were ripped away from their families? Don’t you think we should at least try?”

Blinky hesitated, fidgeting with his suspenders. Barbara used his silence to sweep her gaze across the others, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “We take our time, come up with a plan. We study. We train. We gather weapons and armor. And we save those children, and damn the monsters to a deeper circle of hell if they try and stop us.”

Toby, Claire, and Draal nodded, determined looks on their faces. Blinky nodded too, losing his concerned expression and setting his jaw. “In memory of Master Jim, it seems only fair to complete his mission.”

Before they could say anything else, the alarm on Claire’s phone went off. They all turned to look at her. “Oh shoot, we’ve been here all night! I told my dad was staying at Mary’s house, but I need to get home to get ready for school!”

“We need to leave now, or our kids will be still serving our detention!” Toby said. 

“Blinky, if you can come by my house later today, so we can all figure out some kind of plan.” Barbara said, then she turned to Claire and Toby. “Don’t worry you two, I’ll drive you to school.” She ushered them towards the entrance as Draal activated the door. 

Vendel looked at them curiously as they exited. “What were you all discussing in there?”

“Just a conversation between a mother and the people who were there for her son's last moments,” Barbara said, and they walked together towards the entrance of Trollmarket. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s wrong Dumbzalski?” Steve said. “Have you been crying, you big baby?”
> 
> “Leave him alone, Steve,” Claire said, sounding exhausted.
> 
> “What is it? Did Jim Fake Junior finally abandon you nerds?”
> 
> Claire gasped and covered her mouth. Toby glared at him, his hands balling up into fists.

Their determined energy dissipated rapidly. Yesterday’s fighting and subsequent, emotional turmoil and mourning weighed on them all. Neither Claire nor Toby had slept that night; like Barbara, they’d stayed awake to listen to the tales about Jim. Toby dragged his feet as he climbed the crystal staircase, and Claire kept dropping things. They said goodbye to Blinky and Draal at the entrance to Trollmarket and clambered into Barbara’s car.

Driving was a struggle, but Barbara managed to get them all safely to school. They all sat in silence for a few moments before Claire opened the door and stepped out. 

“Goodbye Dr. Lake,” she said. Barbara was too tired to correct her. 

“Talk to you later, Dr. L.” Toby slid across the back seat and out the door. 

Barbara watched them approach the school's courtyard, the car's engine still idling. She stared at her hands on the steering wheel. There was so much she had to do today. Should she go into the clinic? Who should she call? How do you even start going about making arrangements for a funeral?

A crash from the courtyard brought her head up. A tall, blond boy had Toby backed against the lockers, and Barbara recognized Steve from Jim's description. The school bully had his arm against Toby's chest. Whatever Steve was saying, Toby was taking without the strength or energy to fight back. 

Barbara came back to herself. What was she doing watching this? She couldn't sit idly by and watch someone get hurt! She was going about today all wrong. The kids didn't need to deal with school right now! 

She quickly turned off the engine, wrenched open the door, got out and slammed it behind her. Even from the car and through her blurred vision she could see Toby flip from passive to aggressive in a heartbeat. Whatever Steve had said had struck a nerve. Barbara hurried closer. 

* * *

Toby slid morosely out of the back seat of the car. “Talk to you later, Dr. L.” 

Barbara stared out the window without responding. Toby felt empty. The Trollmarket mourning ceremony and Jim himself coming out of the Void had given him more closure than he’d gotten when his own parents had died. Still, Toby was exhausted. He wanted to focus on the problem they now faced. They had to be ready to go into the Darklands, but his mind felt like it was full of static. 

As he approached the courtyard,Toby was so lost in exhaustion and misery that he didn’t notice Steve until he slammed Toby backwards into the lockers. He looked up into Steve’s face and suppressed a sigh. The last thing he wanted to deal with today was Steve’s bullying. Claire tried to pull Steve off, but he elbowed her away. 

“What’s wrong Dumbzalski?” Steve said. “Have you been crying, you big baby?”

Toby looked away and down without acknowledging Steve. He was too tired for this right now. 

“Leave him alone, Steve,” Claire said, sounding exhausted.

“You stay out of this,” Steve growled at her before turning back to Toby. “This is between me and Jumbo here. So tell me Buttbraces, what are you crying about?”

Toby made eye contact with Claire over Steve’s shoulder. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Claire tugged feebly at Steve’s arm, but she was too tired to fight him. 

“What is it? Did Jim Fake Junior finally abandon you nerds?”

Claire gasped and covered her mouth. Toby glared at him, his hands balling up into fists. 

“Jim Fake Junior the coward decided he didn’t want you hanging around any-”

He got no further before Toby’s fist connected with his face. Surprised, Steve fell back, holding his chin. Before he could recover, Toby punched him again, knocking him to the ground. 

“Jim died yesterday, you bastard!” Toby yelled as he jumped on the bully. He kept punching again and again. 

“Toby Domzalski! What is the meaning of this?” Señor Uhl pulled Toby off Steve. “Enough! Detention young man!” 

“How dare you!” Claire screamed at Uhl, tears streaming down here face. “Steve has been bullying Toby for years. And you did nothing! And now Jim is dead and you give Toby detention?”

A crowd had gathered around them, though now they stood in dead silence.

“Claire! Toby!” A voice interrupted Claire as she tried to continue. 

* * *

All the students turned to stare as Barbara strode into the school courtyard. Eli Pepperjack had his mouth agape. Señor Uhl turned toward her as well, looking slightly sick. Toby and Claire were crying openly. At the sight of her, Steve turned and fled the courtyard. 

“Mr. Uhl, is it?” Barbara said, extending her hand to Uhl. She realized to her chagrin that she only barely knew Jim's teachers. She didn’t have the ability to process her regret right then. “Perhaps there is somewhere more private we can discuss things?” 

Uhl nodded and gestured towards his office. Barbara put her hands on the backs of Claire and Toby and gently urged them forward. 

Before they entered the building Uhl turned to address the courtyard full of kids. 

“Everyone please go to your classrooms.”

His words seemed to snap the students from their thoughts and they began a slow shuffle towards their classes. Barbara felt their stares as she escorted the two kids to the principal's office. This was not the best way for the rest of the school to find out about Jim. 

As they walked to the office she quietly apologized to Claire and Toby “I'm sorry for bringing you here. You need more time. School should be the last thing on your minds.”

When the door was closed behind them she drew on some hidden reserve of strength and turned to Uhl. 

“My son passed last night. Claire and Toby were there with me when he died, since they were so close to him. I shouldn't have brought them into school, I guess I don't have my wits about me just yet. I'm sorry for the fight in the courtyard, and for the rest of the students finding out this way.”

Uhl was stunned by this news, his arms fell limply to his sides.. “I am so sorry for your loss. Of course Mr. Domzalski and Ms. Nuñez can be excused from class for the rest of the day, and for as long as they need.” He knelt down to their level and hugged them both. “I am sorry for reacting without all the information. Neither of you need to worry about homework until you are ready to return.”

Barbara thanked him. Claire and Toby merely nodded, both still crying. After excusing herself to Senor Uhl, Barbara hurried them both back out to the car. 

After getting Claire and Toby settled, Barbara went looking for Steve. She found him sitting against the wall just past the school gate. Barbara knelt down next to him. Steve started, but didn’t run. He had the tear tracks running down his face. 

“Is he really gone?” Steve asked. Barbara nodded. She used the edge of her sleeve to wipe a bit of blood off his face. “I never meant it. I didn't mean any of it.”

Barbara nodded again. “I'm not going to hold what you said, or what you did over your head.” His injuries seemed mostly superficial. A split lip, bloody nose, one eye that was rapidly blackening. She wondered if his parents would even notice. She remembered when he had come into her clinic with a concussion. The bruises, cuts and even burns on his body. Those weren't from the Vespa crash; they had been older. 

“How can you just forgive me? I've been a total buttsnack to him!” He whispered. Tears ran down his face. 

Barbara sighed mentally and stood up. She looked over to her car where Toby and Claire were waiting. Here was another child who wanted her to get angry. He wanted her to yell and throw things, and he probably expected her to hit him as well. 

Barbara could do it if she wanted to. Since last night there had been a fire inside her. She could unleash it. She could let all her anger and rage at the injustices of the world burn her away. 

What good would that do, though? If she had screamed at Claire and Toby, it wouldn't have given her back the two weeks with her son. If she punched Steve it wouldn't bring Jim back to her. Instead she offered him a hand to help him stand. 

Barbara thought about the stories she had heard last night about all of her son's heroic adventures. She felt like she understood Jim better than she had in years. 

“My son believed that nobody is beyond redemption,” she began. “He believed that enemies could become allies, or even friends.” Barbara paused. Steve was looking away his face thoughtful. “You want me to yell at you. I'm not going to do that. If you feel guilty when you think of Jim, use that to change for the better.”

Barbara helped him brush himself off and straighten his clothes. “Now get to class. School is important.” 

Steve jogged to class, an astonished look still on his face. Barbara walked slowly to her car. She didn't answer the questioning looks from the two in the back seat. After a moment of driving she addressed them in the rearview mirror. 

“I'm going to take you two to my house. You need to sleep before you have to deal with anything else.” She paused for a moment, tapping her fingers on her steering wheel. “Maybe if I had thought things through this morning, I wouldn't have mentioned going into the Darklands again in front of you. Maybe I should have just told Mr. Blinky and Draal about it. But I don't want to keep the two of you in the dark. You deserve better.” 

Barbara looked around as she stopped at a light. “But you need to tell your guardians.” She waited a moment as they both yelled out their objections, and then turned to face them. “Your parents  _ deserve _ to know. Especially now.” 

“What if they forbid us from being trollhunters?” Claire asked as Barbara drove on. 

“Would that stop you?” she made eye contact with her in the rearview mirror. Barbara watched as Claire subsided, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Now, I may be being a bad influence. Maybe I should be trying to convince you not to risk your lives anymore. But you have already risked so much. And I know you two would keep risking your lives, with or without us. But your families do deserve to know.” 

“I guess your parents do deserve to know who saved Enrique,” Toby said. 

“Don't think I won't be calling Nancy over too, Toby.” Barbara said. Toby looked down. 

“I'm not going to call them right now. Your parents expect you to still be in school, so you have all day. You do need to rest.” Barbara pulled into the driveway. “Go inside and lay down. After you've gotten some sleep we'll discuss this more.” 

* * *

Ever since Barbara Lake had left his office, Señor Uhl, interim principal of Arcadia High, had been busy. His students called him Uhl the Unforgiving. While it was true he expected excellence of his students, it was no less than what they were capable of. He did have a heart however, and a protective streak a mile wide. He would not allow harm to come to his students if it was within his power to prevent it. 

The moment his door shut behind Barbara he was on the phone. Now, three grief counselors were on their way to the school. He would call more if his students needed them. He would pay them from his own pocket if he had to. 

As soon as he confirmed that the last was on their way, he wrote an email to the teachers. The students would have questions, and the teachers needed to know what to say. He reminded them all that the children needed routine, but not additional stress. They should teach as normal, but he asked them not to assign homework tonight. 

After that came the more difficult letter he had to draft. The letter to the students. They needed to be informed, needed to know what resources were available. And most of all, they needed to know that he was available if they ever needed anything. 

Uhl the Unforgiving had a protective streak--a trait most only thought applied to his truck Susannah. Toby had said Jim had contracted a sudden and rare illness. Jim Lake Disease had claimed its last victim. He would allow it to hurt no others.

* * *

Barbara tucked the blanket around Toby as carefully as she could, but he didn’t wake. Toby had passed out on her couch almost immediately. She searched for Claire for a few minutes before eventually finding her in Jim’s room. The poor girl was curled up in his bed, asleep, his pillow in her arms. She had it pressed against her face, Barbara wondered if the pillow still smelled like Jim. Barbara grabbed another pillow from her own bed to put under the girl’s head while she slept. 

Once she was satisfied that the two children were resting comfortably she went into her room and dug through her closet. She knew hidden in there somewhere was a phone number she needed to call. Right after he had left them, Barbara looked up James’ number. Initially she had thought about suing him for child support, but knew he wasn’t worth the effort. She and Jim had managed just fine on their own. Still she kept it, hidden away from Jim. She sighed as she dialed, this was a number she had never wanted to call. 

“James? This is Barbara. You...should call me back. It’s…--it’s about Jim. Please just call me back.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You don't know what your children are capable of!" Barbara said. "They have a chance to make a real difference! They have a chance to save lives!”  
> “Just because you let Jim die for these trolls doesn't mean we are going to let Claire!”  
> Barbara reeled back like she had been slapped. Claire was shaking with fury.  
> “I can't believe you mom!” Claire screamed.

Uhl sat in his office as the last bell rang. His office door was open. He had set the grief counselors in some of the nearby offices. The teachers had been informed. The letter explaining the loss had been distributed. He didn’t have long to wait before he heard the sound of running steps. Eli Pepperjack dashed into his office. 

“Is it true Señor Uhl? Is it true Jim is gone?” The young boy said. 

“Please Elijah. Close the door, and sit down.” Uhl waited till Eli complied. Then sighed and continued. “Yes I am afraid it is true. His mother came in and confirmed it to me this morning.”

Eli’s lips were already quivering, at this he burst into tears. “We tried so hard to raise money for him! He is-was so nice.”

Uhl quickly went around his desk and put a hand on Eli’s shoulder. Though he was surprised when the boy wrapped him in a hug, Uhl didn't hesitate to return the gesture. After Eli cried against him for a few minutes the principal guided Eli into one of the offices occupied by the grief counselors. He saw one of the doors was closed. One other than the one into which he gently urged Eli was open. 

There were also several students loitering in the area. Darci Scott rushed forward next. She spoke in a rush to Uhl as he welcomed her into his office and shut the door. She was devastated by Jim's death but she was also worried about Toby, he hadn't answered any of her messages!

In the next room Steve sat with one of the counselors. He hadn't wanted to go to anyone who knew him at the school, a stranger was much better. He wanted to tear himself apart for always bullying Jim and trying to pick fights with him. And he couldn't get over Barbara's calm and collected, “Use that to change for the better.”

He had left class early, as soon as the letter was distributed confirming Jim's Death. He hadn't wanted to face his peers. He was sobbing as the counselor did her best to comfort him. 

* * *

In the Lake house, there was a different difficult conversation happening. Ophelia and Javier Nuñez and Nancy Domzalski sat on Barbara's couch their mouths open in awe. 

The kids had slept almost all day. When they awoke at least somewhat rested and refreshed it was time for the truth to be out. Barbara had called the Nuñez family then gone and brought Nancy over herself from across the street. 

The conversation between the kids and their guardians hadn't gone on very long when Barbara interrupted with the simple words, “Show them.”

Which is how Toby found himself hovering against the ceiling, held aloft by his warhammer. Claire had extended her Shadow staff and cast a portal behind her. The adults sat with their mouths agape. Even though Barbara had a better idea of what was coming it was still impressive to see. 

It took a few moments for any of them to find their words. Finally Javier spoke, “So this is what you've been up to late at night? Well it's better than drugs?”

“Javier!” Ophelia smacked her husband on the arm. “You just said Jim died? Was it related to...this?” 

She gestured toward her daughter who flinched a little. Barbara nodded, a sad expression on her face. 

“He died saving your son Enrique from troll kidnappers.” Barbara said. 

“My son!” Ophelia grasped Enrique close to her chest. They hadn't been able to get a babysitter on such short notice, so had brought their infant son along. The baby had clapped and giggled at the light show created by Claire and Toby's weapons. “My son wasn't kidnapped! He's been safe at home all day!”

“No he hasn't mom!” Claire seemed exasperated. “Enrique was replaced by a troll called a changeling months ago. Jim went into the Darklands to save him.” 

“That doesn't make any sense!” Javier said. 

“It does though!” Toby replied to him. “You said just yesterday that it was unlike Enrique to fall asleep in your arms! That's because the changeling, we called him NotEnrique, liked to be difficult and wouldn't fall asleep around you!”

“We were alone when he said that! Claire wasn't even in the house.” Ophelia seemed to be grasping at the easiest piece to argue with. 

“Mom, watch this.” Claire tossed a portal against the wall and walked through it. She came out across the room near Toby. Her parents were even more shocked. “We portalled into my room to make sure Enrique was back home, right after Jim...died.”

Javier looked impressed but Ophelia looked even more upset. “If this trollfighting-”

“Trollhunting,” Toby interrupted. 

“Trollhunting,” she continued. “is what caused Jim's death, then you are certainly not going to be allowed to do it anymore.”

Ophelia wrenched the shadow staff out of Claire's hands. She almost dropped it when it collapsed back to travel sized, but held on. Barbara sighed quietly. She knew Ophelia would be the most difficult to convince. All of the traits that made her a great fit for the city council made these conversations… challenging. 

“You don't know what your children are capable of! I went to Trollmarket last night. The troll village under our feet that they have been protecting. The trolls there told me stories, they were supposed to be in memory of Jim.” Barbara turned to look at Claire and Toby, her eyes shining. “But they were also about how amazing these kids have been. They have a chance to make a real difference! They have a chance to save lives!”

Now Barbara turned back towards the guardians, a broad smile on her face. It was true, so many of the stories from last night involved the two kids fighting side by side with Jim and the trolls down below. Ophelia clutched the shadow staff to her chest before she spoke. 

“Just because you let Jim die for these trolls doesn't mean we are going to let Claire!”

Barbara reeled back like she had been slapped. She stumbled back into the bookcase. Her knees felt weak and she could barely stand. Toby collapsed his warhammer and rushed to her side. Claire was shaking with fury. 

“I can't believe you mom!” Claire screamed. “She didn't let Jim die! We lied to her. Kept it from her. We're giving you a choice! The choice to support us while we fight evil and save this sorry town again and again.”

“You are a child!” her mother screamed in return. 

“I am a child that has already dealt with more than you can understand. I am a child who finally has the opportunity to do some real good in the world. I am a child who knows enough to make her own decisions. And I am a child with abilities.” Claire reached out her hand. Her brown eyes were fully purple, faint lines ran from her eyes down her cheeks. The shadow staff leapt from Ophelia's grasp and into her daughters hands. It was immediately at it's full length and at full power. Claire continued, “Abilities I choose to use to help people.”

Ophelia stood silent, her husband sitting open mouthed on the couch. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could Claire interrupted her. 

“And you can't stop me from helping people. I want your support but I don't need it. I could leave and move to Trollmarket, be a full time Trollhunter!” Claire then turned, cast a portal, and ran through it. The portal closed behind her as her mother tried to reach for it. The entire room sat in silence. 

As the silence stretched long Toby inwardly feuded with himself. Normally he left the inspirational speeches to Claire and Jim. He was more the plucky guy who helped break the tension, desperately trying to keep their spirits up. But neither of them were going to be any help here, and Barbara was still recovering from what Mrs. Nuñez had said. Now was the time for his own inspirational speech. 

“Claireisrightyouknow!” he blurted out. Smooth start he thought. He started again slower. “Claire is right. On so many points, but honestly, Nana, Mr and Mrs. Nuñez, you can't stop us. Jimbo and I have been sneaking out for months. Claire joined us right before the school play. In that time we have done so much.”

“We stopped a troll apocalypse. We fought goblins. We found changelings hidden among us. We battled pixies. Yeah we messed up sometimes, and things have been hard.” He sniffed loudly. “My friend Aaarrrgghh died. Jim died.” 

He put is hand on Barbara's arm, then continued. “But we saved lives too. We saved Trollmarket. We saved everyone in Arcadia from becoming troll food! Jim saved Enrique from the Darklands. And if you forbid us from saving our friends, we will keep sneaking out. We will break out if we have to. But we don't want to do that anymore.”

Toby looked down tears filling his eyes. “With Jim gone, we can't go back to lying.” He looked at his grandmother. “Nana. I don't want Claire to have to explain to you what happened to me if I die.” He turned to Claire's parents. “I'm sure Claire feels the same way with you. And I don't want to have to be the person to tell that she died after sneaking out of your house.”

Another extended silence followed. It was broken by the crack of a portal opening next to Toby. Claire stepped out and with a thump and a yelp dropped two objects onto the coffee table. The adults looked in surprise at the two objects. One was a stone head, clearly a troll of some kind. The head had only one eye. The other was a very small troll, still alive and swearing about being grabbed by his scruff. 

“If you still want to try and stop us, I want you to know what we've dealt with.” Claire said. 

Barbara stared at the head for a moment, sure she recognized it. She gasped, as recognition dawned a phantom pain slashed across her shoulder. All the nightmares she'd had these past two weeks. A pain in her shoulder throbbed where no scar now sat. She knew she should have a scar, had she not been healed by magic. If it weren't for Toby beside her she might have fallen. 

Claire didn't notice Barbara's distress. She was focused on her parents. “This is the head of Angor Rot one of the most feared troll assassins to ever live. We killed him. Jim turned him to stone and I created a portal for Toby to smash him with his warhammer. But not before he killed several trolls in Trollmarket. He killed our friend Aaarrrgghh. He tried to kill all of us several times. He almost killed Barbara. But we killed him. This is the kind of evil we have faced. This is the kind of evil we  _ have to  _ stop from taking over the whole world.”

Her parents faces were drained of color. Nancy kept trying to adjust her glasses to see it clearly. Next Claire gestured to the small troll. “And this is NotEntique. The changeling that replaced my brother for the past few months. Maybe you should explain?”

Her last words were directed to the troll on the table. He scratched his chin briefly before talking. 

“By the Pale Lady, its uncanny. I may be the first changeling ever to be in the same room as their familiar after leaving the fetch.” He and Enrique were still staring at each other. The baby tried to reach his tiny hands for the troll. Finally NotEnrique addressed Ophelia and Javier. 

“Hey, uh mom. Pops. I, uh, don't really know what to say. I never thought I would be having this conversation. The goblins took your baby, and put me in his place. I don't quite know how to convince you. The rabbit I sleep with is called Suzy Snooze. Mom, you always sing me lullabies in English. Pops you always sing them in Spanish.” 

They looked at each other. Finally Ophelia spoke to him. “Why did you decide to become a… changeling?”

NotEnrique looked away. “I never decided nothing. Gunmar’s army took me from my parents, centuries ago. Worked all kinds o’ magic on me so I stayed like this for as long as I stayed in the Darklands. I used to be able to change, as long as the little fella was in my place. But ‘es out now.” 

He looked around for a moment, “ ‘ere does anyone have a mirror? Maybe I can still try my little trick.” 

Claire handed him her compact from her purse. He hawked a large snot ball then spat it at the mirror. There in the mirror was Enrique; sitting in his mother's arms, reaching out towards NotEnrique. The image faded fast. He made to hand the mirror back to Claire. 

“Keep it hermanito.” Then she turned to face her parents again. “This is what the troll world is. Babies getting stolen. Assassins trying to kill people. This is what we fight. This is the world we can try to protect. So no one, troll or human needs to fear these things ever again.”

At this Barbara stood up straight. She still seemed shaken, both from seeing Angor's head again and from what Ophelia had said to her. Even as she spoke she avoided looking at Claire's mother instead addressing Nancy and Javier. 

“Your kids have explained everything as best as possible. So will you try and stop them from helping? Or will you trust them?”

Nancy was the first to speak up. “If my Toby-pie wants to help people, how can I tell him not to?” She gestured for him to come closer. “Just make sure to come home ok?”

Toby nodded as he wiped tears from his eyes. “I promise Nana.”

Javier reached out to Claire. She hesitated for a moment then grabbed his hand. With his other hand he grabbed his wife's. Claire put her hand out to NotEnrique while her mother held Enrique. The family held each other for a moment before Javier spoke. 

“You're my little princess. I just want you to be safe. But if this is what you need to do, you can always count on your family to have your back.” 

Claire smiled at him, then she looked to her mother, who nodded and smiled past her tears. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a friend who is a copy editor who helped me edit the previous chapters and Requiem. That takes so long and is way more thorough than fanfiction really needs, so I just edited this chapter myself. I apologize for any mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Things sound lively up there. How did their guardians take the news?” Blinky asked.   
> “It could have gone better. Could have gone worse. It only took Claire threatening to run away and move permanently to Trollmarket for her parents to agree to let her continue trollhunting.”  
> "But tell me Barbara, is there anything I can do for you? I know this is a lot for you to deal with on your own.”  
> “She said I let my son die. Did I let Jim die? Did I push him away? Or not pay enough attention to him when he needed me?”

The atmosphere in the house was not relaxed by any means but at the very least it felt like no more screaming matches were going to break out. The kids and their guardians were all sitting on the couch together. Toby suggested ordering a pizza to give the gathering a party like air. Javier immediately wanted to go get his grill but Claire convinced him to stay and settle for take out. She wanted to keep him at the house as a buffer between Barbara and Ophelia, who were still avoiding speaking to each other. 

Claire, Toby, and NotEnrique took it in turns to tell stories about their trollhunting. Barbara had appreciated the stories of heroism last night, but she loved these stories. The kids still felt like they were walking on eggshells around their parents, so they put a more positive spin on the stories. 

That made for a lively evening. Toby could easily be a comedian with his ability to turn any situation into a joke. Barbara noticed that some details were excluded to make things seem less dangerous. She smiled and laughed along with the rest, though she made a mental note. At some point she would need to get the actual stories, not the ones that played up her son's life and not the ones meant to put the kid's guardians at ease. 

Currently Toby and Claire were trading off telling what really happened when Walter came over for dinner. Toby was telling it from Jim's perspective, Barbara could even tell when he used Jim's specific turns of phrase. Claire was talking about listening from the basement. 

“And then Strickler transformed into a changeling!” Toby was saying. “He's green and has horns. Then he said, and Jim would always put on this ridiculous accent to try and match Mr. Strickler’s voice” Toby then changed his voice to a British accent. “‘ What do you think, good look for picture day?’”

Toby actually almost nailed Walter's accent. It was a unsettling for Barbara, ever since finding out about Jim she had been avoiding thinking about the man who had hurt her. According to Vendel it was mostly his fault that she had forgotten about her son’s Trollhunting. If he hadn’t put the binding spell on her, taking advantage of her to target Jim, she might not have the gaps in her memory she was still dealing with. 

Barbara laughed along with the others as Toby described Jim and Walter hiding their fight from her while she was in the kitchen, then quietly withdrew from the living room. She leaned against the door to the basement and watched them laugh as the story continued. She turned at the sound of a cough came from her basement. 

She leaned back to look down the stairs and there was Blinky looking up at her. Barbara smiled and walked down the stairs to talk to him. The troll looked hopeful, with two hands on his hips and two clasped behind him. 

“Things sound lively up there. How did their guardians take the news?” He asked. 

Barbara shrugged. “It could have gone better. Could have gone worse.” Blinky nodded and she continued. “It only took Claire threatening to run away and move permanently to Trollmarket for her parents to agree to let her continue trollhunting.”

“Claire would have been welcome to stay in Trollmarket, though I am glad for her sake that it did not come to that. Would it help if I went up and talked to them?”

“I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but I think they are already processing as much as they possibly can.”

Blinky chuckled, “That may be true. It might be a conversation for a later time. But tell me Barbara, is there anything I can do for you? I know this is a lot for you to deal with on your own.”

Barbara glanced up the stairs as another ruckus laugh echoed down. “Ophelia said...something…”

“Please Barbara, anything you tell me will be kept in the strictest confidence.”

She moved further into her basement away from the stairs. Blinky followed her till they stood shrouded in shadow. Barbara sighed then whispered to him. 

“She said I let my son die. Did I let Jim die? Did I push him away? Or not pay enough attention to him when he needed me?” Her voice shook as she spoke. Blinky immediately enveloped her in a hug, all four of his arms around her. After a moment he pulled back to look at her face. 

“Barbara, if you want I can ask Draal to enter the Soothscryer and ask Master Jim what he thinks. But do you want to know what I think?”

Barbara didn’t know what he meant by that but nodded and he continued, “I think Jim loved you and looked up to you more than he did any other person alive. You heard Vendel describe Jim's fight to save your life. That wasn't the first time he fought for you, risking life and limb to protect you.” He looked aside, then back to her. “May I tell you what I told Master Jim when I first met him?”

Barbara nodded again. “I had this whole speech I gave him, when he was first called by the amulet.” Blinky paused and organized his thoughts, “I said to him ‘Destiny is a gift. Some go their entire lives, living existence as a quiet desperation. Never learning the truth that what feels as though a burden pushing down upon our shoulders, is actually, a sense of purpose that lifts us to greater heights. Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valour, that to strive and triumph in the face of fear, is what is means to be a hero. Don't think, Become!" 

He paused for another moment. “I still don't know if that was the best or worst advice I've ever given. I believe Master Jim truly felt that being the Trollhunter was his sacred duty, his destiny. He fought for you, he fought for Claire and Tobias, he fought for every citizen of Arcadia and Trollmarket. I don’t believe that you pushed him away or let him die. I believe he fought because you inspired him. I can see where Jim got his compassion and his way with people. Jim fought and died because he was a hero, just as you inspired him and I trained him to be.”

"The way you talk about him, you sound like you could be his father. Well you might as well be. From everything I've heard and remember you were a better father than James ever was.” Blinky’s face glowed at that. "Thank you Blinky. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me, but what about you? How are you doing? Is there anything I can do for you?”

“I'll be ok. I've been in my library, doing some research.”

Barbara put her hands on her hips, "When was the last time you rested? You need time to mourn and sleep just like the rest of us."

“I prefer to keep myself busy. My library is the place where I rest. Books and reading are what keep me going.”

Barbara turned away in thought. “In that case, I think there is something you could do for me. I need to know what it is I'm dealing with. I need troll history.”

Blinky beamed. “I would be happy to provide you some literature on the matter. And a troll to english translation book as well. Anything else?”

She turned back to face him. “I need to know what my son has done. Not the heroic tales that were told last night. And not the light hearted jokes that Toby is telling. I want to know what happened, as accurately as possible.”

Blinky nodded. “I have been working on cataloging Master Jim's exploits, as a dedicated historian it is important to be accurate, and as much as possible remove emotional bias.”

“Barbara?” Claire's voice echoed down the stairs. Her voice was heavy with exhaustion again.

“Down here, Claire! I'm coming up now.” She put a finger to lips and motioned the girl up the stairs. Claire smiled at Blinky then nodded. Then Barbara whispered to Blinky. “Thank you for talking.”

As she emerged from the basement she could see that the Nuñez family was getting ready to leave. Javier gave her an odd look. 

“What were you doing down there?” Javier asked. 

“Just looking at the space.” Barbara replied. “I did some painting when I was in college. I think I might take it up again. It seems like the perfect spot where I can let the paint get a little messy without worry.”

It was clear the kids were still tired. So slowly they excused themselves. Eventually Barbara found herself alone in her house. Truly alone. And suddenly she missed everyone more than ever. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “None of us are supposed to outlive our children. We just weren’t made to bury our babies.” Nancy said then she sniffed loudly.  
> “Does this hurt ever go away?” Barbara asked quietly.   
> “No.”

Barbara couldn't sleep. She had laid in bed for what felt like hours with only her thoughts for company. She tried putting on music, but it always seemed too loud no matter what volume it was set at. Eventually she decided that sleep probably wasn't going to happen that night and got back up. 

She wished Blinky had already brought the books for her to read. Whenever she had problems in the past she could always escape into her books. It's how she had done so well in school. Any time she was stressed, scared, sad or angry she would bury herself in her studies. Her anger at James abandoning her and Jim got her through medical school on the honor roll. The four armed troll would likely be by to drop off the books tomorrow, but that left nothing for her to turn her mind to now. 

Barbara found herself pacing her house. She tried to avoid Jim's room, but kept finding herself standing outside his door. She desperately wanted to be busy, but there was almost nothing she could do. It was far too late to call people and she had no troll lore to study. She doubted that Trollmarket would let her in if she just went down there and knocked. 

Instead she tried to straighten the house. Everywhere she looked there were signs of Jim's absence. She hadn't realized all the little ways he helped out around the house. And it was clear that other than making her breakfast Jim had never told Toby. There was two weeks of dust in the house among other small bits of clutter. 

Since Jim spent the most time in the kitchen, he always knew what they were running low on. His carefully handwritten list on the fridge had become the only things she purchased. He sometimes would describe the exact cuts of meat he wanted. Now there was almost no food in the house, and she hadn't even realized. 

Close to midnight, she found herself again outside his door. This time she opened the door slowly. Jim’s room was much as she remembered it, but even here she could see signs of his absence. Toby hadn’t put away his friend’s clothes the way Jim usually did. The bed was still tousled from Claire sleeping in it this morning, but other then that the room looked like it hadn’t been lived in. 

With a sigh Barbara sat down on Jim’s bed. If it hadn’t been for the gaping holes in her memory, she would have noticed that Jim was gone. She couldn’t help but think about the lie he had told her. He had promised to tell her about his Trollhunting after Vendel removed Walter’s binding spell. Instead he had disappeared, then died. 

Barbara so badly wanted to be angry at Jim for lying to her. She had a fury, a rage burning inside her ever since she had found out about his death, but she couldn’t force herself to direct that anger at her son, anymore than she could direct that anger at the other kids. Jim had lied to her, Claire and Toby had lied to her, Steve had bullied her son. And yet, she could see that each of them were children who had been put in an awful position and did what they thought was best. She was hurt by what they had done, but not as badly as they were hurting. 

She could potentially focus her anger on Mr. Blinky, but from all the stories the trolls had told, and the jokes Toby had told, the four armed troll obviously acted a surrogate father to her son. Blinky was missing Jim just like she was. On top of that he probably felt like he had failed the boy as a trainer. 

Barbara was angry at Walter Strickler. If he hadn’t bound their fates, she would have still remembered her son. She was angry with James Sr. If he hadn’t been such a bastard and abandoned her and Jim, she would have been able to be home when Jim needed her. And she was furious beyond anything she had ever felt before at who or whatever had called Jim to be the Trollhunter. A child should have never been called to shoulder this weight. 

Tears of frustration poured down her face as she punched Jim’s pillow. All these people who had hurt her, who had hurt Jim. She was choking on her rage and couldn’t do anything about it. The only thing she could do was make sure no one else was hurt from this. 

Barbara dashed her tears from her eyes and stomped downstairs to the kitchen. What she wanted now was some junk food. Her frustration mounted when she remembered that the little remaining junk food she had in the house had been taken by Toby to Trollmarket. 

A sudden knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She glanced towards the door nervously. It was past midnight and she certainly wasn't expecting anyone. Almost on instinct she reached for one of the kitchen knives. Jim always kept them razor sharp. She flipped and twirled the knife on her hand before settling it point down. 

Barbara walked slowly towards the door, knife in hand. When she was closer she could see through the frosted glass the diminutive frame that could only belong to one person. She sighed softly then set her knife down on a shelf and opened the door to Nancy Domzalski. 

“Nana! What are you still doing up?”

“I saw your light was on and wanted to ask if you wanted to stay the night at our house.” The older woman said. 

“I'm fine, I was just a little too wound up to fall asleep quickly.” Barbara tried to ignore the tracks of tears on her face as she spoke. 

“Barbara, I have lost a child too.” Her calm words held the weight of a mountain emotion. Barbara gasped, covering her mouth. She put a hand on Nana’s arm, and allowed herself to be lead across the street. Neither of them spoke while Barbara locked her door, or when Nancy helped get her settled on the couch in the living room. It wasn’t until Barbara was wrapped up in several blankets on the couch and Nancy was comfortable in the armchair that Toby’s grandmother spoke. 

“None of us are supposed to outlive our children. We just weren’t made to bury our babies.” Nancy said then she sniffed loudly and started petting one of the cats that settled on her lap. 

“Does this hurt ever go away?” Barbara asked quietly. 

“No.” Nancy was silent for a moment. “But if you find something else to mother, you can make it through. I have my Toby-pie. And now it seems, so do you.”

Barbara started to talk, but Nana interrupted her. “They’re good kids. That sweet girl Claire, and Toby-pie. And you’re trying to be strong for them. I know what that’s like. If you ever need to talk, or just want to sleep in a house that’s less empty, feel free to come on by.”

With that Nancy got up from the chair and went to bed in her room. Barbara sat on the couch listening to her settle in for bed, the small sounds of the cats were all around her. She let her quiet tears fall, she missed her son so much. Nancy was right, she wasn’t supposed to outlive Jim, but she could keep fighting for Claire and Toby. Eventually she laid down, and shortly after she was asleep. 

* * *

The next morning Barbara was awoken by the sounds of Toby getting up and coming down stairs. He seemed perturbed but not bothered when he saw her splayed out on the couch. He got some cereal out of the cupboards and started to eat, while she sat up and stretched. She privately wondered what he was doing up this early. She had never known him to be an early riser. She noticed his eyes were red from crying just like she was sure her own were. 

Toby was idly staring past her while he ate, when an alarm on the boy’s phone went off. He started, almost knocking over his bowl as he jumped up from his seat. He dashed across the room grabbing his bag as went. He got to the front door, his hand on the nob, when he stopped as if frozen. After a few seconds he returned to his bowl of cereal. Barbara was baffled by this, what could Toby need to do so desperately? And what had stopped him? Toby refused to make eye contact with her again as he finished eating his breakfast. 

Barbara mentally shrugged and got up. She helped herself to some of the cereal as well. She turned her mind towards what she had to do today. She knew she needed to call out from work for the next week or so. She needed to let her family know what happened. Start to work on preparations for the funeral. She was struck from her thoughts as another alarm sounded in the space. 

This one she distinctly recognized as Jim’s alarm. Toby quickly pulled out a phone she also recognized as belonging to her son and silenced the alarm. She stared at him. He only looked at the empty bowl in front of him. 

Barbara returned to eating but couldn’t keep her thoughts focused. A few minutes of silence followed. The quiet was broken by her own alarm going off. She yawned and stretched again. 

“I guess it’s time to get up-” Her phone was still in her house. She had left it behind when Nancy had come over, she hadn’t wanted to deal with any calls last night. How was her alarm going off? She watched as Toby muted another alarm. This one was on his phone. So this was how he had been able to pretend to be Jim for so long. He created a whole routine to make sure he was in place and in disguise before she woke up. And now she could see by the tension in his shoulders that he was afraid she would get angry. 

“Is that how you kept me in the dark?” Barbara tried to ask sweetly. Toby still cringed away from her. She sighed quietly. She would have to talk to Nana and Javier about getting these kids some counseling. They didn’t need to be dealing with this guilt on top of everything else. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It must have been so hard to pretend to be Jim, while you were worried about his safety. That was so brave of you to try and keep me from worrying.”

He looked up at her tears forming in his eyes. He gave a small smile past his tears. She grabbed his bowl. “Would you like some more cereal?” Toby wiped his eyes and nodded. Barbara poured him another bowl and another for herself. It was some sugary cereal for children. As she ate Toby seemed to recover himself a little. 

“I'm not angry anymore,” Barbara said to him. “I just want to know how you were able to do it.”

Toby explained in between bites of cereal. He talked about Jim entering the Darklands by himself, and them hurrying to fix the house while she recovered in the hospital. He talked briefly about getting into Jim's phone. Barbara smiled at the fact that his password was Claire's name. Jim always was such a romantic. Toby also talked about the lie he had told at the school. Jim Lake Disease. No wonder she hadn’t gotten any calls from the school in the two weeks Jim was missing. They thought he was in the same hospital she worked at. 

He talked very quickly about the different things he had to do to deceive her. It was obvious he still wasn't proud of doing it. She was a little impressed despite herself. Toby and Claire had come up with quite the system. From learning her schedule, to setting up the crib cam Claire's parents had purchased to watch the house, they had done a lot of work to hide Jim's absence from her. 

Toby seemed to be winding down with as much as he was willing to say. In a couple of months, or maybe even years she might ask Claire for more details but it was clear the two of them would feel guilty about what they had done for a while. When he was finished speaking Barbara gathered up the dishes and rinsed them off before putting them in the dishwasher. 

“What are you going to do next Dr L?”

“Are you asking me what am I going to do for the rest of the day? Or are you asking what WE need to do next as Trollhunters?”

“I guess, what are we going to do next?”

Barbara sighed, she started straightening Nancy's kitchen, while she thought. There was a lot she needed to do as Jim's mother. However there was very little Jim's friends could do to help her at this stage. And few of those things helped their larger goal of saving the rest of the changeling familiars. Finally she turned back to Toby. 

“I just don't know. There's still so much I don't know about the whole world of trolls. Mr. Blinky said he would drop by with some books at some point today. I think when he does I'll text you and you can text Claire. And we can discuss our options.”

The boy nodded, then Barbara continued. “In the meantime, I want you take care of yourself. Relax if you can. Watch some movies or play some video games. And if you need to talk I'm right across the street. I know you've dealt with so much, but you kids don't need to deal with it on your own anymore.”

He smiled, a few more tears shining on his eyes. She pulled him into a tight hug. Then she said goodbye and walked to the front door. With her hand on the doorknob she paused and faced Toby again.

“Can I have Jim's phone?” Toby's shoulder rose defensively and he stared at the phone in his hand. His face became so very glum. Barbara backpedaled rapidly, “Actually you can hold onto it for now. Eventually I want to take it in to have all the pictures and data downloaded.”

“Ah, right. The pictures.” Toby’s frown changed as he looked aside awkwardly. Barbara sighed deeply and stared at the ceiling. 

“If you could be so kind, please delete any inappropriate pictures before I do so, I would appreciate that.”

“Inappropriate-? No that’s not what I was thinking. Jim and Claire aren’t the type, I was more thinking about all our pictures of Trollmarket and trollhunting...but I guess the troll’s kind of out of the basement on that one, so I probably don’t need to worry.”

Barbara nodded and said her goodbyes again. She would let Toby hold onto this small connection to him and Jim, for at least a little longer. Once she was outside of the Domzalski house she took a deep breath. She felt like her brain was whirring sluggishly to life, there was a lot to take care of today, a lot to think about. But first she needed some tea. She strode purposely across the street to her own home. 

As the kettle warmed up she called her work. Yesterday she had called out without any real explanation. She briefly told her boss what had happened. Her son had passed she said. She kept the details to a minimum. Eventually she would need a more solid lie, so she didn’t want to say anything now that she could get caught in later. Her boss understood that she would be taking some time off. The hospital probably more than any other job knew about the importance of bereavement leave and she had barely used her sick leave in the past few years and had quite a few hours accrued. She would be taking a couple of weeks off. 

By the time that call was over her tea was ready. She sipped the hot tea while she scrolled through the contacts on her phone. She needed to call her family; let them know a version of what had happened, but she didn’t even know where to start. She paused as a name came up on the list. Her words to Toby came back to her. “you kids don't need to deal with it on your own.” Barbara took a moment to let all the emotions from the past couple of days to flood over her. Her tears flowed quickly down her face. Tears wouldn’t have worked on the hospital director, Barbara had talked to her one medical professional to another. She tapped the number of one person on whom her tears had always worked. The phone only rang a few times before she heard the voice on the other end. 

“Barbara?”

Barbara let a soft sob escape her lips. “H-hi mom.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this for quite a while, I'm finally feeling ready to start sharing it with you! Hope you enjoy, prep your feels.


End file.
